Data providing system, method and computer program

Abstract

A data providing system utilizes the resources of a digital broadcast and a network efficiently so as to provide data for a great number of users at high efficiency. The system includes a server station for communicating with terminal devices individually via the network, and a host station for transmitting the same data to all the terminal devices all at once in real time by the digital broadcast. Individual data and light-load data are handled by the server station, and the information such as load data, which should be shared by the terminal devices, are handled by the host station.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-229131, filed Jul. 28, 2000, and 2001-207024, filed Jul. 6, 2001, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a data providing technique for providing useful information for users in real time, achieved by combining a personal communication mode which utilizes a network such as the Internet and a global data distribution mode such as a digital broadcast.[0003]Digital broadcasts using cables, artificial satellites and ground waves are now very popular. The digital broadcasts include not only a mode for distributing program data to an indefinite number of persons in the general public as its objects (to be referred to as “normal distribution” hereinafter), but also a mode for delivering contents of movies, games and the like for p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The main object of the present invention is to provide a data providing technique capable of providing multi-objective data at a high efficiency to the users, by making a full use of the resources for distributing the digital data.

[0014]The terminal devices and the first device are connected with each other via a network. The first device can be structured to transmit individual data prepared in accordance with a request from any one of terminal devices to that one. In this case, the second device is structured to transmit common data indicating the operation status of the network, which changes occasionally in accordance with the load on the first device, to all of the terminal devices at once. With the above-described structure, the user can find the operation status of the network from the second device before trying to access the first device through the terminal device of the user, and thus it is possible to prevent a decrease in the load on the network caused by unnecessary accessing to the first device.

[0015]In the case where there are a plurality of first devices, the second device transmits operation status data indicating the operation state of the network, which changes occasionally in accordance with the load on the respective one of the first devices, to all of the terminal devices at once, and transmits as a proxy data to be sent by the first device when some or all of said plurality of first devices have a load which exceeds a predetermined value. With this structure, the user can find desired data through the second device even when the load on the network is so heavy that it is not possible to access the first device. Therefore, the data providing system can provide the user with desired data while preventing an increase in the load on the network.

[0020]In the case where a plurality of first devices are used, these first devices are formed to have logical spaces accessible by a plurality of terminal devices, these logical spaces are formed dispersed from each other but associated with each other. The second device, when the status of the logical space changes in any one of the first devices, provides the statuses of all the logical spaces after the change to said plurality of terminal devices in real time. With this structure, it is possible to provide data at high degree while lightening the load on each and individual first device (the load resulting in operating the logical space). Further, the status of some other first device which is not accessed can be known through the second device, and therefore the user can find the data of the entire logical space while obtaining data from the logical space.

[0024]The method according to the first example is of a type characterized by including the steps of: distributing part of data to be provided to a plurality of terminal devices connected a network, to a first device communicable individually to each of said plurality of terminal devices; distributing a rest of data to be provided, to a second device which transmits data towards said plurality of terminal devices all at once; and transmitting the data distributed to the first device and the second device at the same time, thereby enabling each of said plurality of terminal devices to reproduce the data to be provided in real time. With this method, it is possible to organically utilize the broadcasting and the network.

Problems solved by technology

As a result, conventionally, these resources are not fully utilized.

Images